Safety bottle closure



y 11, 1965 D. A. POLZIN 3,182,840

SAFETY BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed NOV. 5, 1963 FIG. 6 MENTOR DEAN A. POLZINATTORNEY United States Patent 3,182,840 SAFETY BOTTLE CLOSURE Dean A.Polzin, Warren, Mich. (12055 Elm St., Birch Run, Mich.) Filed Nov. 5,1963, Ser. No. 321,483 Claims. (Cl. 215-9) This invention relates tobottle closures and more particularly to a safety closure for containerswhich prevents removal of the cap by children or through accidentalmeans.

Safety closures of this kind are useful in preventing dangerous orpoisonous substances from being removed from their containers other thanby an intentional act on the part of an adult. Many substances dangerousto children are stored in containers in the home and are accessible tochildren. As a result, various safety closures have been suggested inthe past, each intended to provide a container with a closure whichcould not be removed by children or through inadvertence.

One such bottle closure employs a series of teeth projecting inwardlyfrom the inner surface of a resilient cap. T hese teeth are adapted toengage projections on the surface of the bottle neck and preventrotation when the cap is moved in a counterclockwise direction. If thecap is to be removed, the user squeezes the resilient cap intermediatethe teeth; this causes the portion of the cap adjacent to the teeth toflex outwardly so that the teeth no longer engage the projections on thebottle and the cap is free to rotate and be removed.

The disadvantage of such a closure is that the cap must be sufficientlyresilient to allow the cap to be squeezed and thereby flex outwardly. Asa result, the effectiveness of the seal is reduced, thus creating aserious leakage problem and thereby increasing, rather than decreasing,the possibility that the con-tents of the container will cause harm tochildren or others.

A further disadvantage of such a structure lies in the likelihood thatthe projections on the container will be damaged or broken Oh. Thecontainer, during its life, may undergo substantial abusive handling andbe repetitively moved into cont-act with other containers or objects. Asa result, the project-ions may be severely damaged or broken'off so as.to prevent the closure from being operative.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to providea safety bottle closure of the general type described above, wherein thecap is constructed of a rigid material, and the bottle is constructedwithout projecting surfaces.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention which will be subsequentlydescribed in detail, the invention takes the form of a cap ofsubstantially rigid material threaded along its interior walls so as tobe normally mounted on the threaded neck of a container. At the loweredge of the cap, a springli-ke raised member is provided having apointed end adapted to fit'within a matching recess in the -adjacentcontainer neck. Rotation of the cap in the clockwise direct-iontightening it about the neck, allows the pointed end to pass over therecess. When the cap is then rotated in the counter-clockwise direction,the pointed end of the spring-like member engages the inner wall of therecess in the container neck and the cap is thus prevented from furtherrotation.

An advantage of the present invention is that the cap may be constructedof rigid material such as plastic or container will not inadvertentlyleak out and cause harm to children or others.

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A further advantage of the invention is that it provide a safety closurewhich cannot be opened or removed b children or other accidental means.

Another advantage is that the bottle is provided with recess along itsneck rather than projecting surfaces whic might be subject to damage inhandling.

An additional advantage of the present invention 1 that it is extremelysimple to manufacture, and provide a secure lock which is easy toactuate.

Other objects and advantages will be more readily a parent from thefollowing detailed description of a pri ferred embodiment of theinvention. The descriptio makes reference to the accompanying drawing inwhich FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the upper portio of a containerwith a safety closure according to the pre: ent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the closure and contains shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the closure and containe of FIGURE -1;

FIGURE 4 is a top section view of the present closur mounted on'thecontainer neck in looking position, take along the lines 44 in FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 shows the closure of FIGURE 4 with th springdike sectiondepressed by the users fingers so as t release the cap for removal; and

FIGURE 6 is a section view taken along the lines 6- in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 show a cap, generallyindicated at 10, mounted on the neck 1 of a bottle 14.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the upper portion of the nee 12 includes threads16. The cap 10 has a flat top It and an annular wall 20 projectingdownwardly there from. The wall 20 is threaded as shown at 22 andadapted to fit along the threads 16 of the bottle neck 1-2 Adjacent thelower edge of the wall 20 a small stres relief hole 24 is formed. Aretaining section 26 extend horizontally from the wall 20 below the hole24. The re taining section 26 is curved in the horizontal plane suc thatits midportion 28 projects outwardly beyond the Oil cumference of thecap 10. The free end 29 of the DE taining section is wider than the restof the retainin section and has a pointed tip 30 which normally extendwithin the circumference of the cap.

The neck 12 of the bottle '14 includes a recess 32 be low the threads16. The recess has a sharp angle or li portion 34 at one end and aflattened portion 36 at th opposite end.

As a result of its configuration and of the location 0 the stress reliefhole 24, the retaining section 26 form a spring-like extension of thewall 20 with its midporti-o. 28 projecting outwardly and its tip 30projecting inwardl of the circumference of the remainder of the cap 10.

When the cap 10 is to be mounted on the bottle use 12, it is rotatedclockwise until it descends into sealin position. As it is rotated, thefree end 2-? of the retainin section 26 passes over the flattenedportion 36 of th recess 32 without engagement; since the tip 30 trailsth wider portion of the free end in this movement, it cannc engage anyportion of the recess 32.

When the cap is rotated counterclockwise, the tip 3 engages the lip 34of the recess 32 and prevents furthe rotation of the cap. To release thecap for removal, th

user presses against the mid-portion 28 of the retainin sect-ion 26 asshown in FIG. 5. As the retaining sectioben-ds under this pressure, theinner face of the free en 29 is forced to slide along the recess 32towards the Ii 34 and the tip 30 to move outwardly away from engage mentwith the lip 34. The cap 10 is then free to rotat and may be removedfrom the bottle.

ones-nee nos the cap may not be removed from the bottle withapplyingpressure to the retaining section, the cap tot be removed by childrennor can it be removed by lent. In constructing the cap, the tension inthe reng section can be increased as desired so as to increase tmount ofpressure needed to remove the cap; this will ier reduce the likelihoodof removal of the cap by vertence or by children. 1e'cap is preferablyconstructed of plastic, thin steel ther rigid material which perm-itsflexing of the reng section. If desirable, the cap could be constructedny suitable rigid or flexible material While the retainsection could beconstructed separately of a suitable ble material and fixed to the lowerportion of the so as to project in the manner decribed above. furtheralternative embodiment (not shown) employs nner annular member in whichthe recess is located, er than in the bottle neck. This inner member isfixed 1y about the neck of a conventional bottle, leaving lpper open endof the bottle exposed. The cap, con- :ted' as described above, is thenscrewed on to the llar member and locked in place as already described.embodiment of the invention permits the closure to :mployed on aconventional bottle rather than one tructed with'the recess provided inits neck surface. aving thus described my invention, 1 claim:

Container closure means, comprising:

container having a substantially cylindrical portion open at oneextremity thereof, said portion having a recess along its outer surface;

cap adapted to be mountedin sealing engagement over said open end ofsaid'cylindrical portion on said container; id rigidflexible retaining.means integral with said cap adapted to engage said recess and therebyprevent rotation of said capin a first direction required for removal ofthe cap and permit rotation in the opposite direction, said'retainingmeans flexing with respect to said recess in response to externalpres-sure applied to said retaining means on said ca so as to permitrotational motion of said cap in said first direction.

Container closure means, comprising:

container having a substantially cylindrical portion open atoneextremity thereof, said portion having a recess along its outer surface;

cap of non-resilient material having an annular portion adapted tothreadably engage said cylindrical portion and a top portion adapted toseal said cylindricalpor-tionwhen saidcap is threadably mounted thereon;ld'rigid flexibie'retaining means integral with said cap adapted toengage said recess and thereby prevent rotation of said cap in a firstdirection required for removal of the cap and permit rotation in theopposite direct-ion, said retaining means flexing with respect to saidrecess in response to external pressure applied to said retaining meanson said cap so as to permit rotational motion of said cap in said firstdirection.

Container closure means, comprising:

container having :a substantially cylindrical portion open at oneextremity thereof, said portion having a it annular portion and integralwith said cap, said member having its free end normally disposed withinthe circumference of the inn-er surface of said cap such that it isreceived within said recess when it is rotated into position adjacentthereto, said recess then resisting rotational movement of saidretaining member in a first direction required to remove the cap andpermitting rotational movement of said retaining member in the oppositedirection, said retaining member having a midportion which, whendepressed, causes said free end to move to a position along said recesspermitting it to be rotated in said first direction.

4. Container closure means, comprising:

a container having a substantially cylindrical portion open at oneextremity thereof, said portion having a recess along its outer surface;

a cap of non-resilient material having an annular por' tion adapted tothreadably engage said cylindrical portion and a top portion adapted toseal said cyl'indrical portion when said cap is threadably mountedthereon;

and a flexible rigid retaining member integral with said cap and fixedto said annular port-ion at one end and having its free end normallydisposed within the circumference of the inner surface of said cap suchthat it is received within said recess when it is rotated into aposition adjacent thereto, said recess then abutting the tip of saidfree end and thereby resisting rotational movement of said retainingmember in a first direction required to remove the cap, and permittingrotational movement of said retaining member in the opposite direction,said retaining member having a midportion which, when depressed, inducesa flexing movement of. said ifr'ee end as tofreesaid tip from saidrecess and permit rotation of said cap in said first direction.

5. Container closure means, comprising:

a container having a substantially cylindrical portion open at oneextremity thereof, said portion having a recess along its outerperiphery, said recess having a sharp-angle portion at one edge thereof;

a cap of non-resilient material having an annular portion adapted tothreadably engage said cylindrical portionand' a top portion adapted toseal said cylindrical portion when said cap is threadably mountedthereon;

anda flexible rigid retaining member integral with said cap fixed tosaid annular portion at one end and having its free end normallydisposed Within the circumference of the inner surface of said cap suchthat it is received within said recess when it is rotated into aposition adjacent thereto, the sharpangle portion of the recess thenabutting the tip of said free end and thereby resisting rotationalmovement of said retaining member in a'first direction required toremove the cap, and permitting rotational movement of said retainingmember in tation of said cap in said first direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNrrnD STATES PATENTS 2,752,060 6/56Martin 215-9 2,827,193 3/58 Martin 215'9 3,019,931 2/ 62' Thornton 2159FRANKLIN TpGARRE'IT, Primary Examiner.

the opposite direction, said retaining member being

1. A CONTAINER CLOSURE MEANS, COMPRISING: A CONTAINER HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION OPENING AT ONE EXTREMITY THEREOF, SAIDPORTION HAVING A RECESS ALONG ITS OUTER SURFACE; A CAP ADAPTED TO BEMOUNTED IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT OVER SAID OPEN END OF SAID CYLINDRICALPORTION ON SAID CONTAINER; AND RIGID FLEXIBLE RETAINING MEANS INTEGRALWITH SAID CAP ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID RECESS AND THEREBY PREVENT ROTATIONOF SAID CAP IN A FIRST DIRECTION REQUIRED FOR REMOVAL OF THE CAP ANDPERMIT ROTATION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID RETAINING MEANS FLEXINGWITH RESPECT TO SAID RECESS IN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL PRESSURE APPLIED TOSAID RETAINING MEANS ON SAID CAP SO AS TO PERMIT ROTATIONAL MOTION OFSAID CAP IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION.